A Dead Project Loses its Vocalist

Austere, one of the many projects of Australian busyman Tim Yatras, released its final album in 2009. An absolute masterpiece, To Lay Like Old Ashes is one of my favorite atmospheric/cascadian black metal metal releases of all time. While it’s unfortunate Tim called the band quits after its release, it was an incredible high note to end on and solidified Austere’s importance in the genre.

Tim’s unique vocals — more hysterical cries than anything else — can be extremely polarizing. If you loved the mood of the album but thought his voice was a detractor then you’re in luck. Last night Austere created a Soundcloud page with an instrumental version of the entire album. The unmastered tracks are slightly different, and listening to them without vocals lets your ears focus on the detailed, layered beauty of his work. Releasing variations of albums like this is fascinating. It gives fans more insight into the project’s background and lets us see more of the creative process behind the music. Let’s hope more artists continue to experiment with their online offerings. You can follow Tim on his Germ Facebook page, where he occasionally lists some of his hard to find work for sale.